Knowing which rights and obligations that apply to doctoral education provides the conditions for good cooperation between doctoral student and supervisor and a successful educational process.
The conditions that apply to your studies vary depending on the type of funding you receive. Unlike other doctoral students, those employed by SLU (or other university or company) may have additional employee benefits such as access to occupational health services, whereas doctoral students funded by scholarships turn to the student health service. The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet) offers compensation to doctoral students funded by scholarships if they become ill or take parental leave.
The vast majority of doctoral students are employed, either by SLU or by an external employer. This means that the head of department's responsibility for employees' work environment also applies to doctoral students. In addition, the head of department has a responsibility to ensure that even the doctoral students who are not employed by SLU are offered conditions and opportunities that as far as possible are similar to those that apply to the university's employees.
Doctoral students should
All doctoral student must have an individual study plan (ISP). At SLU these ISPs are created and managed in the digital ISP portal.
SLUSS PhD Student Council is a coordinating body for SLUSS, the PhD councils of the student unions and the PhD student commissioner. The board considers issues relating to research, PhD education and other questions affecting PhD students at SLU.
The admission regulations for third-cycle education regulate the process when a doctoral student is admitted to their studies. The regulations contain information about the financing forms in place, for example doctoral studentships, employment with another employer and funding through scholarships.
The framework for your doctoral studies is determined by the SLU guidelines for third-cycle (doctoral) education, which are based on the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance. It is important to remember that the guidelines that applied when you were admitted to your studies will continue to apply, assuming you do not apply to change to a newer version. Sometimes, there will be considerable differences between each version of the guidelines.
These guidelines describe:
Work environment for doctoral students
The vast majority of doctoral students are employed, either by SLU or by an external employer. This means that the head of department's responsibility for employees' work environment also applies to doctoral students. In addition, the head of department has a responsibility to ensure that even the doctoral students who are not employed by SLU are offered conditions and opportunities that as far as possible are similar to those that apply to the university's employees.
Information about terms of employment at SLU
Information about SLU´s work environment efforts
Illness and healthcare, including care of a sick child (for employed doctoral students)
Health and parental insurance for doctoral students financed with scholarship.
Equal opportunities at SLU
Equal opportunities mean that all employees, students and applicants must feel welcome and given equal conditions regardless of gender, sexual orientation, transgender identity or expression, disability, ethnic origin, religion, other beliefs or age. SLU's work with Equal opportunities shall lead to equal possibilities and rights for employees and students at work and in their studies.
SLU does not accept any form of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or reprisals! The work with gender equality and equal opportunities (JLV) is led by the vice-chancellor, who bears the utmost responsibility. According to the Discrimination Act, employers and employees shall collaborate on active measures.
Information about SLU's work with Equal opportunities.
Information about how SLU works preventively against discrimination.
If something should happen – where can I get help?
As a doctoral student, you are usually both an employee and a student. This means that the head of department is responsible for your work environment. The head of department is also responsible for ensuring that also doctoral students who are not employed by SLU are offered conditions and opportunities that are as far as possible similar to those that apply to the university's employees. This means that if you have problems with the work environment, it is primarily your head of department, your HR specialist, the occupational health service or your safety representative at the department that you should contact.
Each manager and supervisor has a responsibility to ensure that any cases of discrimination and harassment are investigated and remedied. Every employee has a responsibility to ensure that the work and study environment is free from discrimination and harassment.
What you can do in case of harassment.
If you should encounter problems concerning your education you can turn to your principal or assistant supervisor, to the director of study/contact person for doctoral education at your department or the faculty director of study for doctoral education.
You can also always contact the doctoral student ombudsman/counsellor (Doktorandombudsmannen) for advice, regardless of the nature of your problem.
The requirements for supervision and the responsibilities of the supervisors are described in the SLU guidelines for doctoral education. At least two supervisors must be appointed for each doctoral student, and one of them should be appointed principal supervisor. Doctoral students are entitled to supervision during their studies, unless the Vice-Chancellor decides otherwise by virtue of the Higher Education Ordinance. A doctoral student may request to change supervisor.
The faculty board decides on any change of supervisor. Applications can be made either by an individual student, or by a student and his/her supervisor together.
During your doctoral education, it may happen that you, for example, participate in teaching at undergraduate or advanced level or perform administrative work at the department. Different departments have different amounts of tuition, so it varies how much tuition you as a doctoral student are allocated. The routines around how teaching and other departmental service work and to what extent you get extended study time for these assignments also vary between different departments to a certain extent. However, it is important that you know in advance what you are taking on, how much work (time) will be required of you for the assignment and how much of this time you can have your education extended. Discuss this with your supervisors, the course leader and/or your director of studies at the department.
Tip 1! Write down all your tasks, and how much time you spend on them, so you keep your time in order.
Tip 2! Update your CV on an ongoing basis with your teaching and administrative assignments so that you have it available when you later look for a job. Otherwise, it is easy for you to forget some aspect that could be good to mention when writing applications.
Different types of assignments may justify extending the doctoral student period.
Positions of trust at faculty level (such as a representative on the faculty board or doctoral education committee (Fun)) are reimbursed at the faculty level. Contact information and instructions for each faculty can be found on the contact information page for the doctoral education.
Prolongation can also take place at central SLU level (for example, a representative on SLU's board or Fur - The Doctoral Education Council). Application form for extension at central SLU level. For more information about this, contact Lotta Jäderlund.
LTV-faculty: Lotta Malmborg forskarutbildning-ltv@slu.se
NJ-faculty: Charlotta Eriksson or Sabine Sampels
S-faculty: Charlotta Bergström
VH-faculty: Anette Wichman (fun-vh@slu.se)
General information: Lotta Jäderlund or Eva Stening (FUR-sekr@slu.se)
Rules, guidelines and regulations that apply to doctoral education.
Here you can find an overview of the doctoral student´s rights and obligations.
Benefits at SLU (for employed doctoral students)
The doctoral student salary agreement ("Doktorandstegen")
Working hours and terms of employment
Read more about gender equality and equal opportunities at SLU.